Paramedics honoured for bridge rescue
Date: 3 October 2025Senior paramedic Ray Gates and Senior Emergency Medical Technician Orla Dunne have been given a commendation by EEAST’s chief executive after they acted swiftly to stop a woman about to jump from a bridge.
The Harlow-based ambulance crew were on their way to another emergency call when they were flagged down by members of the public who told them a woman was on the wrong side of a bridge over a busy main road.
Ray and Orla stopped and approached the woman, who was hanging onto the railings. Several times the woman had let go of the railings and then grabbed back onto them.
The woman started to lean back backwards and, as she attempted to jump, they both grabbed her, stopping her from falling to the road below.
With the assistance of bystanders, they managed to safely transfer the woman to the correct side of the railings and provided her with support while waiting for police to arrive.
Leading Operations Manager Ian Fazakerley was also dispatched to the scene and later nominated Ray and Orla for the commendation. He said: "On arrival, both staff were visibly shaken, but reluctant to take any praise for their outstanding work which, in my opinion, was above and beyond what is expected in the normal day-to-day work of an ambulance crew.
At the recent presentation, Chief Executive Neill Moloney said: “It is a great testament to the dedication and commitment of our teams that they showed such bravery and initiative.”
